In the course of constructing or rehabilitating a building, there is a need to mount many electrical outlet boxes in the wall to provide a safe means for housing electrical fixtures such as electrical switches, convenience outlets, electrical terminals, telephone outlets, data terminals, etc. The electrical outlet boxes are commonly four (4) inch square boxes or four and eleven sixteenths (4 11/16) inch boxes. The electrical outlet box may be supported by a variety of methods. U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,974 to Lippa discloses a mounting plate and cover assembly for an electrical outlet box which permits the secure mounting of the electrical outlet box abutting a sidewall of a stud and preventing movement of the electrical outlet box. However, the assembly is for one outlet box and does not disclose the installation of two boxes in the same horizontal plane. There is a need for having two electrical boxes or one electrical box and a telephone/data outlet aligned in a horizontal plane and straddling a wall stud. This need has become more critical with the rapid expansion of computers and facsimile equipment where the telephone outlet or data outlet is most conveniently located in the immediate vicinity of a power source for the computer and/or facsimile device. It is difficult and time consuming to install the outlets on opposite sidewalls of a single wall stud at exactly the same height above the floor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,789 to Medlin, Sr. discloses mounting a pair of outlet boxes on a common stud but uses two separate boxes individually mounted. In all embodiments, the electrical outlet boxes do not abut the stud and require stiffening arms to support the electrical outlet boxes to a rear wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,361 to Medlin, Jr. discloses pairs of electrical switch boxes mounted on opposite sides of a single stud. The separate mounting brackets are abutting or "piggyback" and require separate installation. Furthermore, the brackets have stabilizing extension arms and the boxes do not abut the wall stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,944 to Rodick discloses two electrical receptacles spot welded to a connecting member. The connecting member is placed over the wall stud with the electrical receptacles adjacent to the side surfaces of the wall stud. A cover plate is required over the face of the receptacles.
It can be seen that there is a need for a simple, relatively inexpensive device to install electrical boxes abutting both sides of a wall stud so that the electrical boxes are in the same horizontal plane.